Electric Cars

Geely might be about to take on the ute market, but not in the way you'd think.Geely commercial sub-brand Farizon has announced pricing for its F3E small electric truck.It will start from $48,990 (before on-road costs) for cab chassis, with a tray adding an extra $2000 at $50,990, while the enclosed cargo box pushes the price up to $53,490.It lines up as a rival to Hyundai Mighty Electric, in a diesel-dominated market, with models like the Isuzu N-Series.Geely said its new truck is designed for urban delivery, light freight and service fleets.These smaller trucks are also seen as an arguably more practical alternatives to utes like the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, offering greater and more convenient carrying capacity.It also has a fully-electric set-up, with a substantial payload, something electric utes have struggled to achieve.The two-seater F3E is powered by a single electric motor, producing 110kW and 260Nm to rear wheels, with a top speed of 90km. It offers a payload of 1,705kg on the cab-chassis, which is reduced to 1440kg with the tray and 1190kg with the cargo box. The cargo box variant gains the advantage of rear barn doors to aid loading practicality. The F3E has a 73kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery from major Chinese manufacturer CATL, offering a driving range of up to 314km, according to WLTP standards.The driving range drops to 250km when the truck is fitted with the cargo box. It also offers DC fast charging capacity at 100kW, with a charge from 20 to 80 per cent taking roughly half an hour. A 240V vehicle-to-load system can power appliances and tools directly from the truck.The F3E’s interior features fabric seats that are manually adjustable, with the driver seat boasting heating and ventilating functionality.There is a heated steering wheel, with keyless entry and start also standard. It is fitted with a 12.3-inch central touchscreen and 7.0 digital driver display, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto installed. The truck gets some neat safety equipment like rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, auto emergency braking and a reversing camera. 2027 Farizon F3E pricing Australia 

The winds of change are blowing a gale through the Australian car industry, as new brands and vehicles whizz past old favourites on the sales charts.Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries boss Tony Weber said the June result was a paradigm shift for the new vehicle market. “The Australian automotive market has shifted on its axis during the first months of 2026. This year is likely to represent a significant turning point for the Australian automotive industry,” said Weber.BYD is officially a category five storm blowing in the direction of Toyota, Ford, Mazda and others that have dominated the top five selling brands for the past decade.BYD sold 18,881 new cars in June, all of them either electric or plug-in hybrids. This brought its three month total to 34,794 after its much ballyhooed effort to send its own ships packed to the gills with cars to Australia.Toyota had battened down the hatches in June and fortified itself against the fierce onslaught of BYD. It managed 19,124 sales in the past month to hold on to first place.It is understood that Toyota has increased supply going forward and is planning a monster second half of the year.Ford bounced back to third place with 9181 sales. Tesla came roaring up behind the Blue Oval with 8670 sales in June, which is impressive considering it only sells two vehicles.The Tesla Model Y was the best selling vehicle in the country with 8072 examples finding a home in the past month.Stablemates Kia (8005) and Hyundai (7480) held firm in fifth and sixth spots, while Mazda slid down to seventh (7278).Chinese brands finished out the top 10 with GWM (6104), MG (5001) and Chery (4505) muscling out old favourites Mitsubishi (4150), Subaru (2902) and Nissan (2337).A few other Chinese brands are lurking outside the top 10, with Geely 13th with 3507 sales and Chery’s Omoda Jaecoo sub brand 15th after moving 2541 units.Utes still delivered strong results, which is typical for the End of Financial Year period.The Toyota HiLux was the Japanese brand’s best selling model with 5175 sales, and Ford’s Ranger was the second best selling model overall with 5999 sales. BYD’s plug-in hybrid Sark 6 ute was its second best selling model, with 3398 sales.Top 10 selling car brands, June 2026 Top 10 selling vehicles, June 2026  

XPeng has detailed and priced its Mona L03 in China. The keenly-priced new mid-size coupe SUV will rival the Geely EX5 and BYD Atto 3 when it arrives in Australia.The L03 is available with both hybrid range-extender and fully electric powertrains in China, and it sits below the G6 SUV in its line-up.It features a coupe roof profile, similar to the Tesla Model Y rather than the traditional SUV shape of the Geely EX5 or BYD Atto 3.Its interior design typical of Chinese SUVs, with a minimalistic dash layout, a large 15.6-inch central touchscreen devoid of buttons and dials, a floating centre console with dual phone pads and an oval-shaped steering wheel.It features a panoramic glass roof, a 102-litre additional storage frunk and large alloy wheel choices, but unlike some it swaps a digital instrument cluster for a 26.8-inch head-up display.Both the range-extender hybrid and fully electric versions share a 183kW/280Nm rear-mounted electric motor. The electric version is capable of the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.6 seconds, while the range extender can complete it in 6.8 seconds.The electric version is backed by either 56kWh or 69kWh LFP battery, which offer either 525km or 625km of range (although this is according to the more lenient CLTC procedure). The range extender is equipped with a 1.5-litre engine producing 70kW.XPeng says the range extender can travel up to 315km in pure electric mode on its 37.2kWh battery and has a 5.2L/100km fuel consumption when the battery is depleted. Its official combined range comes in at 1330km, according to Chinese standards.The electric version has a claimed energy consumption of 11.9kWh/100km and can charge from 10 - 80 per cent in roughly 19 minutes.Some variants will be have adaptive damping shock absorbers, while all versions will get the brand’s full semi-autonomous active safety suite.The Mona L03 is priced from between the equivalent of $31,000 to $34,000 in electric form, which when the usual import premium is added for the Australian market will place it in competition with the Geely EX5 (from $41,990), BYD Atto 3 (from $39,990) and GAC Aion V (from $42,590).Right hand-drive versions are yet to be revealed, and more is expected to be learned about the model when it makes its international debut later in 2026.XPeng’s new factory-backed division in Australia has been approached for comment about the L03, although CarsGuide understands it is not due on our shores until 2027.The factory-backed operation is expected to deliver on the facelifted mid-sized G6 imminently, and has said previously it will also make good on the previously-expected X9 people mover and G9 large SUV.XPeng has made waves with its much-hyped halo models, including the new P7 sedan and GX flagship SUV in China.

Tesla has reasserted itself as the electric car king of Australia.The American EV maker sold 8670 vehicles in June, its biggest month ever, according to data released by the Electric Vehicle Council. It was so big that it beat the previous best month, which was May, by 26 per cent.It will be in the running to beat all other carmakers in June except for Toyota.Leading the charge was the Model Y SUV, which recorded 8072 of those sales. This will likely make it the best-selling vehicle in the nation when the full sales data gets released tomorrow, as no vehicle in recent memory has hit that figure.The Model 3 sedan chipped in with roughly 600 sales in June.Tesla has asserted its dominance as the premier electric vehicle brand in the country, with a total of 23,588 sales through the first six months. This is equal to a 66 per cent increase through June.Electric vehicle sales have experienced strong growth this year, especially since the Iran war and the resulting high fuel prices.What makes Tesla’s June result even more impressive is that fuel prices across the country had moderated and were effectively back to normal by the end of the month.Tesla has a healthy supply pipeline, with the brand’s local website quoting delivery times for the standard Model Y in July to August. The three-row Model Y L appears to be more in demand with expected delivery times between August and September. The more niche five-seat Model Y Performance won’t land in your driveway until September or October if ordered today.Tesla would be one of the main beneficiaries of the federal government’s Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption for electric vehicles.This FBT exemption allows buyers to pay for the vehicle pre-tax and to side-step the 47 per cent FBT rate.The tax break has been a huge hit, with the scheme costing more than 10 times what the government had forecasted. There were calls for the scheme to be axed to help alleviate the predicted budget deficit, and it is perceived to help a greater proportion of well-off Australians.The federal government announced earlier this year it would be walking back the plan, with it to end by March, 2029.

Volkswagen, for decades one of the world’s largest and most successful vehicle manufacturers, appears to be facing an uncertain future, with one of the key emerging Chinese brands challenging its once invincible position now putting bold shots across the German giant’s bow.At the company’s Annual General Meeting last month VW Group Chairman of the Board of Management Dr. Oliver Blume told shareholders significant job cuts are coming in the face of “conflict in the Middle East, shrinking market volumes and increasingly intense competition”.Not to mention US tariffs costing the group a reported €5 billion annually because VW Group built factories in Mexico (for export to the U.S, built to take advantage of the free-trade agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada) have become uneconomic.“We don’t earn enough money with our products. Developing a world car in Germany, producing it in Europe and selling it globally – our business model that was successful for decades – no longer works today.”At that stage Blume said, “For Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and our software subsidiary CARIAD we have agreed to cut the number of jobs in Germany by some 50,000 by 2030.”And now Automotive News Europe has reported Blume is expected to ask the group’s supervisory board this month to approve cutting 100,000 jobs (15 percent of the current workforce), in what is potentially the biggest restructuring in modern German corporate history.In response to the cost-cutting measures, BYD's special advisor for Europe Alfredo Altavilla has publicly commented on VW's potential job cuts and subsequent restructuring (including the likely closure of four factories in Germany).“It’s the first real wake-up call for the European industry,” Altavilla told the Reuters Automotive Europe conference in Frankfurt overnight.He expressed doubts over the competitiveness of German manufacturing sites, as BYD, the world’s largest EV manufacturer, looks for a second production site in Europe, supporting its new facility in Szeged, Hungary, scheduled to begin operations before the end of this year. To counter Altavilla’s position, Oliver Blume is already on the record in pushing VW’s evolving approach to the Chinese market challenge, having told shareholders last month that, “Our ‘In China, for China’ strategy is gaining traction.”“We have built our largest research and development centre outside Germany in Hefei, reduced our vehicle development times by 30% and cut our material costs by as much as 50%. “In terms of technologies and costs we are on par with Chinese competitors – are adding to our traditional strengths of brand, design, quality, driving characteristics, safety and services and turning them into a clear market benefit. “As the traditional market leader for combustion engine vehicles, we are gaining a foothold in the hard-fought and fast-growing segment for NEVs – for new electric vehicles. We are in the game. But we still have plenty of work to do,” he said.And VW isn’t alone in grappling with global export challenges. According to German VDA data quoted by Automotive News Europe, exports of passenger cars from Germany peaked at 4.4 million units in 2016, just after the VW Group’s diesel-emissions scandal was exposed.Following the COVID-19 pandemic, vehicle exports plunged and have not recovered with Germany's vehicle exports coming in at around 3.2 million units last year. And German exports of passenger cars to China fell 45 per cent in 2025.

When is a car no longer a car?That’s a good question, as you’d initially think that a car needs four wheels, some seats and a steering wheel.Dig deeper and a car may only require three wheels, one seat and perhaps no steering wheel whatsoever. There’s a lot of flux to the definition of a car.The steering wheel point is particularly controversial as if there is no steering wheel, you’re technically not driving anymore and are a passenger. Therefore I’d argue this isn’t necessarily a car anymore and merely a shuttle for transportation.This feeling arose when I experienced Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software for the first time late last year.This was in a Model 3 electric sedan which can be fundamentally defined as a car. It has four wheels, five seats and a steering wheel.You’re also able to drive the Model 3 like a regular car, but with the push of a button it drives itself. Sure, you need to supervise it and take back control if it starts heading in the wrong direction, but for the most part you aren’t touching the steering wheel or pedals.It’s a bizarre sensation handing over all the driving inputs, especially when it can tackle complex scenarios like roundabouts, traffic lights and the infamous hook turns in Melbourne.The technology will likely reach a point where a steering wheel is no longer needed. Tesla is already planning for this with its Cybercab autonomous vehicle.Although production versions of the Cybercab have already started to be produced, they are in small numbers for testing purposes. It’s unclear when they’ll be publicly available for purchase.Tesla is far from the only company developing autonomous driving technology. I was recently a passenger in an autonomously driven Nissan Ariya in Japan. The technology to allow this has been developed in partnership with Wayve, which also has a partnership with Stellantis.Nissan is currently aiming to begin a robotaxi service with these autonomous vehicles in Japan by the end of 2026. It’s also eventually aiming to roll the technology out to customer vehicles as an optional extra.Additionally, Waymo is already operating an autonomous robotaxi service in select cities in the US. There are also plans to introduce it in the UK and Japan.Ultimately the goal with this kind of autonomous or self-driving technology is to have a lounge room on wheels. In some respects we are already there.In the era of software-defined vehicles, many cars now revolve around the central touchscreen multimedia system and the experience they provide. Arguably for some carmakers there is more emphasis on this and the actual driving experience is secondary.In some respects this is warranted as in electric vehicles (EVs) you may be spending your time in the car while it’s charging at a public charger but at the end of the day it’s a car, not a lounge room.Going back to Tesla, the main interface in its current vehicle line-up is the central touchscreen. It dominates the dashboard and you’re required to use it to adjust virtually function.There are also so many novelty and convenience features that span beyond the driving experience. Think of the games you can play while you’re parked, the light show and the comical fart noises you can get the car to play.The list goes on and for many carmakers, especially newer Chinese ones, it seems like a heavier focus is being put on features like this, or services relating to the touchscreen, than the overall driving experience.As a result, it feels like some cars are more glorified iPads with flashy lights on wheels.I know that many people can’t function without technology now and in many respects it’s critical to many areas of cars, particularly safety, however at the end of the day a car is meant to be driven.It would be lovely to see a renewed interest in how a car actually is to drive compared to how flashy and cool its technology is. I’d argue this is wishful thinking though, especially given autonomous vehicles appear closer on the horizon every day.

The rise in popularity of Chinese cars has been so rapid it’s left traditional car companies scrambling to keep up in technology and sales.So now it is a case of, if you can’t beat them join them, with the old big carmakers searching for a Chinese partner in a bid for survival.Here’s who some big established brands are teaming up with to weather the electrical storm.The luxury sportscar maker is already part-owned by Chinese behemoth Geely, which has 17 per cent stake in the company, but there appear to be troubling times ahead and a buy out by Geely could be on the cards.Audi lives a completely double life. There’s the brand with the four-ringed badge, which operates in every country except China, and there's the brand with AUDI logo that is only found in China.AUDI models are completely different to the models sold outside China and are developed in a joint venture with MG's owner, SAICIt’s hard not to be envious of AUDI models, which are fully electric and futuristic looking. How much longer will it be before these highly desirable vehicles are exported to the world?BMW and Great Wall Motors (GWM) formed a joint venture in 2019 and the current Mini Aceman and Mini Cooper are one of the results. You knew Mini is owned by BMW right?The current Aceman and Cooper use a platform developed by BMW and GWM and are manufactured in Zhangjiagang and sold to the world.Ford’s global boss Jim Farley talks of the Chinese car brands being an ‘existential threat’, calling brands such as BYD “the best in the business”, and also admits the need to form partnerships. Farley has even suggested Ford forms joint ventures to build Chinese cars within the United States.Ford’s track record of partnerships with Chinese carmakers isn’t terrific. It recently broke up with Jiangling, which had been making versions of the Bronco SUV that were planned to be sold in Australia.Now the hunt is on for a new partner with Ford rumoured to be talking to Geely, BYD and Xiaomi.The embattled off-road brand, Jeep, may be rescued thanks to a partnership between parent company Stellantis and Chinese car maker Dongfeng.The agreement will see two new Jeep models with Dongfeng platforms built in China and exported globally.Land Rover and Chery have been building cars together in China for a decade now, but recently the relationship went to the next level.Land Rover has given Chery permission to revive the Freelander name. The twist is Freelander won’t be a model but a range of models.The extra twist is Chery Freelanders won’t just be built and sold in China, they’ll also be exported globally.How does Land Rover benefit? Well there’s probably a lot of money changing hands, but more valuable than that would be the use of Chery’s plug-in hybrid and EV know-how and hardware in exchange.Mazda has been criticised for its lack of electric vehicles, but its joint venture with Changam appears to be turning that around quickly, with the agreement resulting in the stunning Mazda 6e and CX-6e EVs.Both fully electric, the 6e and CX-6e, are made in China and use Changan engineering and drivetrains. Mazda’s designers were behind the styling.Mercedes-Benz’s joint venture with Geely is a successful one and the Smart brand of EVs is the result of this relationship. Smart sees Geely handle the engineering and production, while Mercedes-Benz looks after design.Mercedes-Benz is also working on a new Phoenix EV platform to underpin its next generation cars.The famous French brand Peugeot will also benefit along with Jeep from its parent company Stellantis's recent agreement with Dongfeng.Two Peugeots will be underpinned by Dongfeng platforms, and the Concept 6 and Concept 7 Peugeots displayed at the Beijing motor show have given us a glimpse of what’s to come.Geely arguably saved Volvo from demise when it bought the Swedish company off Ford in 2010. Now Geely owns about 78 per cent of Volvo, and while that still gives the Chinese parent company control, it allows Volvo to self-rule and operate out of Sweden.Volvo has flourished thanks to the injection of funds and the autonomy, with the vehicles benefitting from Swedish design and Geely advanced EV know-how.Many Volvo models including the EX40 are now made in China and sold to the world.Volkswagen and XPeng signed an agreement in 2023 to produce vehicles in China and in March this year. The first model co-developed by the two companies - the ID. UNYX 08 has entered production.Volkswagen benefits from the XPeng’s EV architecture and is said to be considering exporting co-developed vehicles direct from China in the future.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming much more popular and mainstream in Australia, however one EV category has seemingly faltered before it even properly started.The utility, or ute for short, is an incredibly popular body type in Australia and examples have been the best-selling vehicle for over a decade now, but there have only been a handful of electric utes on offer to date Down Under.The first was the LDV eT60 which launched in late 2022 and was priced from an obscene $92,990 before on-road costs, which was more than double the amount of the standard, turbo-diesel-powered T60 dual-cab ute at the time.The eT60 also only offered 330km of WLTP-claimed range, was rear-wheel drive and had a braked towing capacity of just 1000kg.For context, the most popular utes in Australia offer all-wheel drive, as well as a braked towing capacity around 3500kg.LDV admitted the eT60 was aimed primarily at government and business fleets, with only a minimal number of early adopters expected to fork out the cash for one.Since then only two other electric utes have launched in Australia.The KGM Musso EV launched locally in 2025 and unlike many utes, including the regular turbo-diesel-powered Musso, that have a body-on-frame architecture, it has a monocoque platform which is related to the Actyon and Torres SUVs.As a result the Musso EV is much more car-like to drive, but it still offers all-wheel drive and up to 420km of WLTP-claimed range.This monocoque platform does limit the braked towing capacity to 1800kg though, however payload is up to 905kg, depending on the variant.The Korean ute is limited in its potential as a towing rig and makes it better suited for lighter-duty or lifestyle applications.The most recent addition to the electric ute stable in Australia is arguably the most important yet.Toyota has now introduced an electric version of its popular HiLux ute, dubbed the HiLux BEV.In Australia there are three versions of the HiLux BEV, the SR dual-cab chassis, SR dual-cab pick-up and SR5 dual-cab pick-up.Pricing starts at $74,990 before on-road costs and goes up to $82,990 before on-road costs. Each variant is $17,000 more expensive than the turbo-diesel-powered equivalent.While the HiLux BEV has dual electric motors offering all-wheel drive, it only has a braked towing capacity of 2000kg and up to 345km of NEDC-claimed range, depending on the variant.Similar to how LDV positioned the eT60, Toyota has said the HiLux BEV is primarily aimed at government fleets and mining and construction sectors. Only a sliver of projected sales will be from private buyers.For now that’s all the electric ute options in Australia and none offer the same amount of braked towing capacity as its turbo-diesel-powered equivalent. However, that’s soon set to change.China’s MG is launching an electric version of its U9 dual-cab ute in Australia in the second half of 2026.According to approval documents, the MG U9 EV will offer a braked towing capacity of 3500kg.Power will come from a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 325kW.The full details haven’t been confirmed yet but overseas it's offered with a 102kWh lithium-ion battery pack with up to 430km of range, according to WLTP testing.LDV had previously confirmed that it would launch the eTerron 9, which is an equivalent to the MG U9 EV, in Australia however this has now seemingly fallen off the radar.Beyond this there are no other electric utes that are locked in for an Australian launch currently.Isuzu previously noted that it plans to introduce the D-Max EV in Australia, but it still hasn’t provided any timeline for when.It’s already offered in other markets, like the UK, and offers a 3500kg braked towing capacity and 1000kg payload, but only 263km of WLTP-claimed range.Additionally it’s unlikely that the full-size American electric pick-ups like the Tesla Cybertruck, Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Hummer EV and Rivian R1T will ever come to Australia as demand for these kinds of vehicles is declining in the US and they would need to be re-engineered for right-hand drive applications.This may change with Ford’s upcoming mid-size ute that’s based on its new universal EV platform, as well as the forthcoming Slate small electric ute, but neither are confirmed for right-hand drive production.While all the electric ute options in Australia currently are flawed in some way or another, the sales charts show that punters are still keen on reducing their fuel bills and CO2 footprint with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) utes.The biggest winner thus far is firmly the BYD Shark 6 which is now available in three variants - Dynamic dual-cab chassis, Premium dual-cab pickup and Performance dual-cab pickup.The latter variant offers a benchmark 3500kg braked towing capacity, whereas the others offer a 2500kg braked towing capacity.Depending on the trim, the Shark 6 offers up to 100km of NEDC-claimed electric range.Likely a key reason for its sales success is how much it costs. The line-up starts at $55,990 before on-road costs and extends to $62,990 before on-road costs. This puts it roughly at the same price as mid-spec diesel versions of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.We’ll have to wait and see whether Australians embrace electric utes, however they’ll likely remain a niche offering for fleets for the time being.

China’s latest budget electric car is about to hit Aussie showrooms.The Leapmotor B05 is priced from $35,990 (drive-away), placing it in close proximity to the GWM Ora 5 (from $33,990, drive-away) and MG4 (from $39,990, drive-away).There is also a long-range variant of the B05 available, starting from $39,990 (drive-away), making it $4000 more than the base car.All variants have a single electric motor, producing 160kW and 240Nm, with a 0-100km/h time of less than seven seconds.The long-range B05 comes with a 67kWh battery that provides a driving range of 482km, while a 56kWh unit in the base car offers 401km, both according to WLTP standards. These strong range figures for the hatchback are in part due to the car only being offered in a rear-wheel drive set-up. The car has DC charging capabilities at up to 174kW, meaning it can charge from 30-80 per cent in under 20 minutes on both variants. On the inside, there is a 14.6-inch central touchscreen display and an 8.8-inch digital driver display.It is also equipped with a wireless phone charger as standard, accompanied by wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The long-range grade adds a fixed panoramic glass roof with an electric sunshade, synthetic leather seats and a premium 12-speaker sound system.It also introduces electrically adjustable seats, with the front ones heated, as well as a heated steering wheel.Leapmotor said the B05 will arrive in Australia in late August 2026.It will join Leapmotor’s growing model line-up in Australia which includes electric and range-extender variants of its B10 and C10 SUVs. The B10 and C10 have been slow sellers in Australia as they target cheaper and more popular petrol-powered alternatives and face tough competition on the price front from Geely and BYD.Leapmotor will continue to bring across more models to Australia over the next 18 months, including the B03X compact SUV and the D19 large SUV.There is also a hot hatch variant of the B05 called the 'Ultra' being developed in China that could be on its way to Australia to top-out the range in the coming years as a new rival to the MG4 XPower.

Mazda has been a slow starter in the electric car race, but the brand is accelerating with the arrival of its all-new 6e sedan. Sourced from its Chinese joint-venture, this new addition offers good value and proven EV technology wrapped up in Mazda's trademark design. But is that enough for it to succeed in the competitive EV market? We drive it to assess its merits on-road and judge its value.